Julius Randle has become somewhat of the odd man out on the New York Knicks in 2024 and his future with the franchise appears uncertain, at this point. According to Knicks insider Ian Begley, Randle wants to remain a Knick, though and is open to accepting whatever role he is given.
“The 29-year-old will accept any role that’s asked of him on this Knicks team if it leads to winning… Randle has been excited about this Knicks team and believes they can make a run. He’s looking forward to being back, healthy, with this group, and thinks things can be special with Bridges. He wants to win and win in New York.”
Randle, who has a player option worth $30.9 million for 2025-26, has been eligible to sign a four-year, $181 million extension since Aug. 3, but nothing has happened thus far. Begley reported that it seems as if the two sides are prepared to go into the season without an extension being agreed on, which isn’t a good sign, in my opinion.
Randle was quite productive when he was on the court for the Knicks last season, averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. The 29-year-old was named an All-Star for the third time in the last four seasons as a result, but didn’t end up playing in the game, due to injury.
Randle dislocated his shoulder on Jan. 27, 2024, and missed the rest of the season. The Knicks finished as the second seed with a 50-32 record despite his absence and made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They lost in seven games to the Indiana Pacers there, but that was down to an injury crisis.
The Knicks’ play without Randle led to questions on whether they really need him. They had a 21-15 record in his absence in 2023-24 but were 17-10 without him after the All-Star break. That’s a 51-win pace over the course of the season.
The Knicks are also very much the Villanova Knicks now after they acquired Mikal Bridges this offseason. He is the fourth Wildcat on that roster, along with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo.
All that makes Randle somewhat of a likely candidate to be headed to the exit door, but I don’t think it’s set in stone just yet that he’s a goner. If the Knicks get off to a spectacular start to next season with him, then there’s a good chance they give him an extension. If they don’t quite live up to expectations, though, he would then be the likeliest to be shipped out of town.
Should the Knicks decide to part ways, it doesn’t look like they’ll struggle to find suitors. NBA insider Brian Windhorst stated Randle is extremely tradeable because of his contract. He’ll only make $28.9 million next season and that’s not too much by any means when you consider his production.
With the Knicks also having a couple of draft picks they can still trade, they could package them and Randle to upgrade their roster, if they feel the need for it. I do think they are not good enough as presently constructed to win the championship, so I predict this is how things will pan out in the future.
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